Are Batting Averages being exaggerated?

[larry111]

I am wondering what most peoples opinions are on batting averages? I meet parents at tournaments periodically who talk about their daughters and how good their daughter is. The subject of their daughters batting average is always brought up by the parent and it is always the same, " her batting average is .700". I look at some the best college players out their and you never see .700 BA. There are a few but it is not the norm. Here is the question, Are a bunch of 10-18 year old batting better than college players or is their a bunch of parent spin on their daughters BA.

[pbj2000]

heck yes they are being exaggerated...

[artomatic]

yes, as are home to first times and pitching speeds.

[SnocatzDad]

I was at a coaches clinic when the head coach of Mich St commented that she was shocked when she attended a HS game that ended 1-0 because according to the profiles she receives, every kid in HS bats between .600 and .750.

If someone has to recite stats to tell you how great their daughter is, then she's probably mediocre at best. If DD really hits .750 you should only have to watch a few at bats to see how good they are.

I do think there are plenty of HS kids hitting .600-.750. What happens is that the better ones are playing up an age bracket (or two) and are facing good Varsity level pitching by 13 (sometines even younger). By the time they are seniors this is their 4th or 5th year hitting against the same level of pitching and they can dominate offensively. As you would expect their batting average will drop when they go to college (and face consistantly better pitching) and I am sure the same happens to pitchers who had low ERA's in HS that get higher when facing collegiate batters who are more consistantly solid.

[pdad11]

Batting average is like everything else, OVERLY exaggerated. Most all the parents out there want everyone to think there kid is the best so, everything is padded; stats, pitching mph, base speed, positions they can play, etc. Hardly ever run into a parent that says "my kid only hits about .125". Instead you get, "my kid hits .700". Nevermind that most of those "hits", as they call them, were due to throwing/fielding errors.

[Lefty82594]

Alot probably are exaggerated. Mine is a freshman playing varsity and is hitting close to .400. I would assume most good hitters hit between 400-500 and some girls who just have a eagle eye for the ball are hitting over 500. JMO...

[artomatic]

Alot probably are exaggerated. Mine is a freshman playing varsity and is hitting close to .400. I would assume most good hitters hit between 400-500 and some girls who just have a eagle eye for the ball are hitting over 500. JMO...

[HUH???]

Totally Exaggerated.
If you:
Always figure 5 MPH less than the pitching speed they are saying,
Always figure 1/2 to 3/4 seconds slower speed Home to First then they are saying,
Always figure 50% less of the batting average that they are saying,
you will be more accurate.

I do believe what the earlier post said about the best hitters/pitchers/players are playing up in age. If someone in, say.....12U, was hitting 0.700, it is time to move up. Their DD is wasting their time batting 0.700 against inferior talent.

My opinion: Keep playing up till you consistently (and for REAL) hit 0.300.
You will then be in good company.

[ZIG]

My kid is hitting .643 with .786 OBP in JV

[frito_burrito]

my kid struck out 5 times in t-ball. so we switched to extreme fighting. she doesnt miss much now.